full-disclosure - Erasing a hard disk easily

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From: kenng at kpmg.com (Ng, Kenneth (US))
Subject: Erasing a hard disk easily

If you are trying to stop groups like the NSA from reading the disk, only
melting it down would be enough.

If, on the other hand, you just want to make sure the data is not readable
from casual users to mid range geeks, boot a bootable linux cdrom, run "dd
if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda".  If your paranoid you can follow it with "dd
if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/hda".  This should stop anyone who lacks a clean
room needed to open the drive to directly access the platters, or who has
knowledge to tap into the diagnostic connector on the drive.

If you demagnitize the drives, either (a) it probably will not be strong
enough, or (b) you'll render the drive unusable.

-----Original Message-----
From: full-disclosure-admin@...ts.netsys.com
[mailto:full-disclosure-admin@...ts.netsys.com]On Behalf Of amilabs
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 10:51 AM
To: 'Marek Isalski'; full-disclosure@...ts.netsys.com
Subject: RE: [Full-Disclosure] Erasing a hard disk easily

That's what I am going to do to the non donated units smash, drill and M80
them.
But for the ones I am donating I was wondering if the magnet approach was
quick enough.

Thanks.. 

-----Original Message-----
From: full-disclosure-admin@...ts.netsys.com
[mailto:full-disclosure-admin@...ts.netsys.com] On Behalf Of Marek Isalski
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 9:21 AM
To: full-disclosure@...ts.netsys.com
Subject: RE: [Full-Disclosure] Erasing a hard disk easily

>>> Javier Liendo <javier@...ndo.net> 13/07/2004 04:59:16 >>>
> i've read that physically removing the disk plates from a modern hard 
> disk is more than enough to make the information contained there 
> imposible to read.

Our standard procedure for destruction of hard disks is summed up in two
words:

Pillar Drill.

Line 'em up and drill 'em through.  You can do a hundred in a few minutes.

Regards,

Marek

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